1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson ROOKIE #79 PSA 5 EX

Many collectors may not realize that Leaf International, the producer of this ‘48 Leaf Jackie Robinson rookie, has no relation to Leaf Trading Cards, a company that started producing cards in 2010. Leaf International, which began in Chicago, Illinois, in 1940, made gum and candy and used its trading cards to promote the brand. Hershey bought the company in 1996 and absorbed the name. Robinson’s card in this set celebrates his first two years in baseball. Most trading card companies traditionally manufactured cards in the middle of the year while the current baseball season (April-October) was still active. As a result, the back of most cards discusses the players’ accomplishments in the prior season. Leaf manufactured this set after the 1948 season ended because the back of the card commends Robinson for breaking the color line in baseball and winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1947, but it also includes his final stats for the ‘48 season. Leaf might have printed them late since so much of the country’s industry was preoccupied with supporting the military’s effort in World War II during this decade. The 1948 Leaf set ranks alongside sets like 1952 Topps baseball as the most respected in the industry. The color scheme and image of Robinson look fit for a museum, resembling a high-end painting. And, like many of the world’s finest paintings, the ‘48 Leaf Robinson has experienced a renaissance of its own as collectors have recognized the historical significance and appeal of the card. In 1868, the National Association of Baseball Players ensured that Black players could not play baseball with them. They wrote a resolution that stated that “any club containing one or more colored players” would be banned from the league. It became the unspoken law of the land through the 1946 baseball season. When the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox in the 1946 World Series, every player and manager on both teams was white, as was every player and manager on all 16 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. And then Dodgers executive Branch Rickey made a phone call. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 12/05/2025.

This item was flash inserted on Dec 4, 2025.